1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to telecommunication networks and in particular relates to an improved telephone ring extender system and method to extend a ring of a telephone using user presence and/or device motion detection.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, when a telephone is inactive (on hook), its bell, beeper, flasher or other alerting device is connected across a telephone line to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) through a capacitor. The inactive phone does not short the line, thus a telephone exchange of the PSTN detects that the telephone is on hook, and only the bell is electrically connected. When someone places an incoming call to the telephone, the telephone exchange applies a high voltage pulsating signal, which causes a sound producing device within the telephone to ring, beep or otherwise audibly alert the called party. When a user picks up the telephone handset, switchhook circuitry disconnects the bell, connects the voice circuitry of the telephone, and puts a resistance short on the line, confining that the phone has been answered and is active. The parties are thereby connected and may converse via the voice circuitry of their respective telephones.
It is common for a person to be within the physical proximity of a ringing telephone, yet be unable to answer the telephone before the incoming call is transferred to a voice mail system or answering machine, for a variety of reasons. For example, the person may be engaged in activities away from the telephone. Commonly, telephone services are configured to switch to a voice mail system or an answering machine after a preset (default) number of rings, and by the time the person reaches the telephone, the set number of rings has occurred and the incoming call has been transferred to the answering machine or voice mail. The person thereby loses the opportunity to answer the incoming call, or in some cases has to interrupt a caller's message being provided to the voice mail or answering machine while in progress, which is undesirable.